Dragonlord's 2015 Movie Guide

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TERMINATOR GENISYS

Release Date: July 1 (Wide Release)

Genre: Science Fiction Action Thriller

Director: Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World)

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, Matt Smith, Byung-hun Lee, Dayo Okeniyi, Courtney B. Vance, Sandrine Holt and J.K. Simmons

Synopsis: In 2029, John Connor, leader of the Resistance, continues the war against the machines. At the Los Angeles's offensive, John's fears of the unknown future begin to emerge when John is notified by his army unit, Tech-Com, that Skynet will attack him from two fronts, past and future, and will ultimately change warfare forever.

On the verge of winning the war against Skynet, Connor sends his trusted lieutenant Kyle Reese back through time to save his mother's life and ensure his own existence. However, Kyle finds the original past changed. After being orphaned at age nine by a T-800, sent to kill her when she was young to prevent the future, Sarah Connor has been brought up by another Terminator T-800 programmed to protect her. This Terminator has then trained her to face her destiny, which she adamantly tries to reject. Now, Kyle and Sarah have to escape the new T-800 and the T-1000 sent by Skynet to kill them, with the help of the old Terminator.

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Dragonlord's Review: A big improvement over the last two films, Terminator: Genisys is surprisingly an entertaining sci-fi action flick for those willing to give it a chance and the 'best' Arnold Schwarzenegger role/movie in recent years. 7.5/10


Rotten Tomatoes: 27% Approval Rating (44 out of 163 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Mired in its muddled mythology, Terminator: Genisys is a lurching retread that lacks the thematic depth, conceptual intelligence, or visual thrills that launched this once-mighty franchise.
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MAGIC MIKE XXL

Release Date: July 1 (Wide Release)

Genre: Dark Comedy Drama

Director: Gregory Jacobs (Wind Chill, Criminal)

Cast: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Gabriel Iglesias, Andie MacDowell, Amber Heard, Jada Pinkett Smith, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Glover, Adam Rodriguez, Michael Strahan, Gabriel Iglesias, Kevin Nash

Synopsis: Picking up the story three years after Mike bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game,

 

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Friday Box Office:

TERMINATOR: GENISYS and MAGIC MIKE XXL Fizzling in U.S.

Leftovers seem to be the dish of choice at the Fourth of July box office picnic. Inside Out and Jurassic World continue to dominate in their third and fourth weekends, respectively, while new entries Terminator: Genisys and Magic Mike XXL aren't living up to expectations after opening midweek.

From Pixar and Disney, Inside Out topped Friday with $12.5 million for a domestic total of $228.6 million. Box office observers have it earning $30 million for the three-day weekend, putting it narrowly ahead of Jurassic World, which grossed $11.8 million Friday for a projected $28.9 million weekend. On Friday, Jurassic World become the No. 4 film of all time domestically with $539 million, surpassing The Dark Knight ($534.9 million).

Terminator: Genisys

 

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Weekend Box Office:

JURASSIC WORLD No. 1 Again, New Releases Settle for Scraps

Leftovers were the dish of choice at the Fourth of July box-office picnic. Firework champs Inside Out and Jurassic World beat new entries Terminator: Genisys and Magic Mike XXL to top the holiday in their third and fourth weekends, respectively.

On Sunday, Universal had Jurassic World winning the weekend with $30.9 million, but final numbers show Inside Out topping the holiday chart with $29.8 million. Jurassic World came in at $29.2 million for a domestic total of $556.5 million — the fourth-best showing of all time in North America and eclipsing The Dark Knight ($534.9 million). Inside Out earning $29.8 million for a domestic cume of $245.9 million.

Either way, the duo trounced the new two entries - Terminator: Genisys and Magic Mike XXL, both of which opened Wednesday and did notably less business than expected.

Terminator: Genisys placed No. 3 with an estimated weekend gross of $28.7 million for a five-day debut of $44.1 million, a poor start that threatens the revival of the storied franchise (two other installments are already dated). Genisys clearly has far more at stake, considering its $155 million production budget.

The good news for Genisys is that it is doing well overseas, where it grossed $74 million this weekend from 60 percent of the international marketplace (or 46 territories) for an early foreign total of $85.5 million and global cume of $129.6 million. It has yet to open in major markets including China, Japan, Germany, Italy and Spain, and could ultimately earn $300 million-$400 million overseas, three to four times its domestic take.

Coming in No. 4 was Magic Mike XXL with a $12 million weekend and five-day debut of $27.1 million, compared to the $39.1 million opening of Magic Mike. The sequel played almost entirely to females, who made up 96 percent of the audience, an unheard of number and compared to 73 percent female for the first film.


'Inside Out' Edges Out 'Jurassic World' Once Again; New Releases Settle for Scraps

 

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MINIONS

Release Date: July 10 (Wide Release)

Genre: Animated Family Comedy

Director: Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me) and Kyle Balda

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, Pierre Coffin

Synopsis: Minions are small, yellow creatures who have existed since the beginning of time, evolving from single-celled organisms into beings who have only one purpose: to serve history's most despicable masters. After accidentally destroying all their masters, including a T. Rex, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, and Dracula they decide to isolate themselves from the world and start a new life in Antarctica.

Sometime 1960s, the lack of a master drives them into depression, so Kevin comes up with a plan to find a new one. Joined by teenage rebel Stuart and little Bob, they arrive at a villain convention in, where they compete for the right to be henchmen for Scarlet Overkill, a stylish and ambitious villain determined to dominate the world and become the first female super-villain. Travelling through New York City, they end up in London, where they must confront a threat that wants to eliminate all Minions.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 55% Approval Rating (68 out of 122 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Minions' brightly colored brand of gibberish-fueled insanity stretches to feature length in their self-titled Despicable Me spinoff, with uneven but often hilarious results.
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SELF/LESS

Release Date: July 10 (Wide Release)

Genre: Science Fiction Thriller

Director: Tarsem Singh (The Cell, Immortals, Mirror Mirror)

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Kingsley, Victor Garber, Matthew Goode, Derek Luke, Natalie Martinez

Synopsis: In this provocative psychological science fiction thriller, an extremely wealthy man (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley) dying from cancer undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man (Ryan Reynolds). But all is not as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body's origin and the secret organization that will kill to protect its cause.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 22% Approval Rating (15 out of 67 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Self/less boasts a potential-packed premise, but does frustratingly little with it, settling for lackluster action at the expense of interesting ideas.
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THE GALLOWS

Release Date: July 10 (Wide Release)

Genre: Mystery Suspense Horror

Director: Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing

Cast: Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos, Reese Mishler, and Alex Schneider

Synopsis: In 1993, a student of Beatrice High School named Charlie Grimille is killed in a horrific accident during the school play, called The Gallows. Twenty years later, students at the school resurrect the failed show in a misguided attempt to honor the 20th anniversary of the tragedy - but a few of the students break in at night to stop the production and soon discover that some things are better left alone for good.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 16% Approval Rating (7 out of 44 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Narratively contrived and visually a mess, The Gallows sends viewers on a shaky tumble to the bottom of the found-footage horror barrel.
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WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAY

Release Date: July 10 (Limited Release)

Genre: Comedy

Director: Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin

Cast: Rosamund Pike, David Tennant, Billy Connolly, Ben Miller, Emilia Jones

Synopsis: Doug and Abi are taking their three children on a trip to Scotland for a big family gathering. They are in the midst of a difficult divorce, and have asked the kids to keep it a secret from their extended family. But as the inevitable feuds kick in, a completely unexpected turn of events involving the children causes further tensions to rise to the surface. And with the repercussions that ensue - hilarious and emotional in equal measure - the family are forced to put aside their differences and work together or else risk losing what they hold most dear.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 73% Approval Rating (29 out of 40 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Witty and well-cast, What We Did on Our Holiday injects unlikely laughs into a story dealing with dark, difficult themes.
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STRANGERLAND

Release Date: July 10 (Limited Release)

Genre: Mystery Drama Thriller

Director: Kim Farrant (Between Me, Naked on the Inside)

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Joseph Fiennes, Sean P. Keenan, Maddison Brown

Synopsis: New to the remote Australian desert town of Nathgari, the Parker family is thrown into crisis when Catherine and Matthew discover that their two teenage kids, Tommy and Lily, have mysteriously disappeared just before a massive dust storm hits the town. With Nathgari now eerily smothered in red dust and darkness, the locals join the search led by local cop David Rae. With temperatures rising, and the chances of survival plummeting with each passing day, Catherine and Matthew find themselves pushed to the brink as they struggle to survive the uncertainty of their children's fate.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 32% Approval Rating (12 out of 38 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Strangerland has a marvelous cast, but their efforts aren't enough to overcome the story's blandly predictable melodrama.
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BOULEVARD

Release Date: July 10 (Limited Release)

Genre: Drama

Director: Dito Montiel (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints)

Cast: Robin Willaims, Kathy Baker, Bob Odenkirk, Roberto Aguire, Eleonore Hendricks

Synopsis: Nolan Mack (Robin Williams) has worked at the same bank for almost 26 years in a life of monotony. He and his wife Joy (Kathy Baker) have embraced their marriage as a convenient distraction from facing reality. However one day, what starts as an aimless drive down an unfamiliar street turns into a life-altering decision for Nolan. When he meets a troubled young man named Leo (Roberto Aguire) on his drive home, Nolan finds himself breaking from the confines of his old life and coming to terms with who he really is.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 45% Approval Rating (10 out of 22 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Boulevard features a richly layered performance from Robin Williams, but that may be this dour drama's sole distinctive feature.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Box Office Report:

DreamWorks' MINIONS Earn Strong $6.2 Million Thursday Night

The yellow gibberish-talking troublemakers made their way back into U.S. theaters Thursday night to earn $6.2 million at late night shows in 2,985 theaters. It's a strong start for Minions, which began rolling out at 6 p.m. last night. As a comparison, Illumination

 

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Friday Box Office:

MINIONS Scores Biggest Opening Day Ever for Animated Film

Minions, the 3D prequel starring Gru

 

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Weekend Box Office:

MINIONS Boasts Record $115.2M Debut for $395M Global Total

In another victory for moviegoing in North America, Minions jabbered its way to an estimated $115.2 million debut to nab the second-biggest opening weekend of all time for an animated title, not accounting for inflation. And overseas, where it began rolling out two weekends ago, the family title also placed No. 1 with $124.3 million from 56 markets for a whopping foreign total of $280.5 million and early global cume of $395.7 million.

That includes a $46.2 million Friday domestically, the best opening day in history for an animated film. The victory is all the more sweet, considering Illumination Entertainment and Universal spent $74 million to make the Despicable Me prequel, a relatively modest number for an animated title. Shrek the Third ($122.5 million) continues to boast the biggest three-day debut of all time.

Elsewhere, Blumhouse and Entertainment 360's microbudgeted horror film The Gallows opened to an estimated $10 million from 3,376 locations, putting it at No. 5. Overseas, it took in $1.3 million from its first 13 markets.

This weekend's third new offering was Gramercy Pictures' $26 million sci-fi thriller Self/less, starring Ryan Reynolds and directed by Tarsem Singh. The indie movie, from Endgame Entertainment and FilmDistrict, quickly transformed into a box-office disappointment, opening to $5.4 million from 2,353 theaters for an eighth-place finish.


Box Office: Minions Boasts Record $115.2 Million Debut for $395.7 Million Global Total

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

July 14, 2015

Dragonlord's Review of ANT-MAN (No Spoilers)

Bottom Line: Gambling with an unorthodox main character most people have never even heard of, Marvel Studios' bet pays off by transforming Ant-Man into a fun heist action flick even though it never quite soars compared to its brethrens' origin films.

Marvel's Ant-Man had a lot of going against it. Second only to Guardians of the Galaxy, this was Marvel's riskiest venture yet. Most moviegoers don't know who Ant-Man is, let alone his alter ego Scott Lang, and most thinks his powers (shrinking and controlling ants) are stupid. And when fan-favorite director Edgar Wright left the project, nearly everyone was predicting the film would now suck.

Cut to the present, and although it doesn't reach the same heights as past Marvel Studios origin films, Ant-Man is entertaining, and unlike other superhero movies before, it's also a fun heist film. Director Peyton Reed does a commendable job of filling in for Wright, giving the film a playful tone that amiably balances the vintage sci-fi, superhero action and caper aspects of the film. Despite no longer involved with the film, Wright's presence still looms with its quick, whiz-bang edit cuts, irreverent humor and rebellious overtone.

Loosely based on the "To Steal an Ant-Man" story in Marvel Premiere #47, Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, a reformed burglar chosen by genius inventor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to steal a dangerous tech from falling into the wrong hands. The charming performances by Rudd and Douglas enhances the film, as well as the terrific chemistry of their mentor-protege relationship. They also did an amazing job de-aging Douglas in the 1989 setting prologue.

Corey Stoll as Darren Cross was a pretty good villain with just the right amount of savviness, instability and ruthlessness. Evangeline Lilly was acceptable as Hope Van Dyne, Hank Pym's feisty daughter, who may have a future in the MCU. Though a lot of people will probably find his scenes funny, Michael Pena's schtick was merely amusing to me. David Dastmalchian and T.I. were unnecessary comic relief characters. The humor doesn't always work and at times felt cheap, like when Scott interrupts a 'healing moment.'

The action scenes involving Ant-Man were pretty cool with the constant motion and shift in perspective. The training montage was also enjoyable. The different type of ants were adorable and as much a part of the cast as the human characters. One of the best moments was a pre-heist that leads to a brief but memorable meeting with an MCU character. The film did an outstanding job of showcasing Ant-Man's powers and abilities, and hopefully enlightening doubters that the character is a bad-ass in his own little way.

Despite Ant-Man being a standalone movie, I love the fact that it's fully immersed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with established characters popping up and references to other events and characters, but done in a natural manner. This film is also the first time Spider-Man is somewhat mentioned.

Regardless if it was entertaining, the film just wasn't that great. Under the guidance of a slick director, say Matthew Vaughn, the movie could have transcended the material. One thing I found troubling was Christophe Beck's uninspiring score which was just adequate but failed to elevate the scenes it accompanied. The actual heist was fun but could have elaborated how tough the security was. They also missed a great opportunity to utilize the cop Paxton (Bobby Cannavale) as a foil to the heroes during the planning stages to heighten the tension in the actual heist.

Lastly, watch out for the two post-credit scenes, one at the middle and one at the very end.

Rating: 7/10

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Box Office Report:

Marvel's ANT-MAN Opens to Decent $6.4 Million Thursday Night

Disney and Marvel's Ant-Man, starring Paul Rudd, marched its way to $6.4 million while Trainwreck grossed $1.8 million Thursday night. It's a decent start for the the big superhero movie starring the little hero, but doesn't touch the Thursday night numbers for last year's Marvel films. Guardians of the Galaxy, another comedic film and gamble on new characters, started off with a huge $11.2 million on Thursday night in August 2014.

Ant-Man's $6.4 million take is comparable to Thor: The Dark World's $7.1 million opening in 2013 (the film went on to earn $85.7 million in its domestic debut) and Minions' $6.2 million opening night tally on its way to a $115.8 million total.

Directed by Peyton Reed, Ant-Man stars Rudd as con-man Scott Lang who, armed with a super-suit with the ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, attempts to pull off a heist that will save the world. The comedic superhero film, which also stars Michael Douglas and Corey Stoll, is opening in 3,856 theaters this weekend and is likely to earn in the $60 million to $65 million range domestically.


Box Office Report: Marvel's 'Ant-Man' Marches to Decent $6.4 Million Thursday Night

 

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ANT-MAN

Release Date: July 17 (Wide Release)

Genre: Superhero Heist Action Adventure

Director: Peyton Reed (Bring It On, Yes Man, The Break-Up)

Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, John Slattery, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pe

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Friday Box Office:

ANT-MAN Nabs Second-Smallest Marvel Friday With $22.6M

According to studio estimates, Ant-Man earned $22.6 million from 3,856 locations on Friday, including $6.4 million from Thursday evening shows. That marks the second-lowest opening day in MCU history, topping only the $21.5 million of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.

Weekend projections for Ant-Man went as high as $65 million – a number that both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger hit in their respective debuts. After Friday’s estimate, it looks like $57 million is a more likely target. That’s a number that a lot of summer pics would envy (Terminator: Genisys, for example). But this is Marvel we’re talking about. Their lowest MCU opening remains $55.4 million for The Incredible Hulk.

On the plus side, American audiences seem to love Ant-Man. The completely unscientific CinemaScore gives the film an ‘A’, which is equal to last summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy and higher than both Thor and Captain America. Critical reception has been more mixed, though Rotten Tomatoes has certified Ant-Man fresh at 80 percent. That should give the film legs in North America – aside from its global potential, which remains unquestioned.

If Ant-Man looks like it will come in a bit under expectations, Universal’s Trainwreck is right on target. The R-rated comedy written by (and starring) Amy Schumer earned an estimated $10.7 million on Friday. That’s the best single day ever for director Judd Apatow, besting the $9.8 million of 2007’s Knocked Up. Trainwreck is still expected to earn $30 million this weekend, though strong word of mouth could propel it a bit higher.


Friday Box Office: Small Victory for Ant-Man; Trainwreck on Track for Strong Debut

 

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Weekend Box Office:

ANT-MAN No. 1 With $58M; TRAINWRECK Laughs to $30.2M

The North American box office was a mixed bag this weekend. While Amy Schumer's female-fueled R-rated comedy Trainwreck overperformed, Disney and Marvel's Ant-Man came in somewhat behind expectations with $58 million. While that's certainly not a shabby number, it marks the second-lowest debut for Marvel Studios since it went solo and launched its cinematic universe, beginning with Iron Man ($98.6 million) in May 2008. Only The Incredible Hulk opened lower ($55.4 million).

The opposite was true overseas, where Ant-Man earned $56.4 million from its first 37 markets, well ahead of the first Captain America and Thor. That puts Ant-Man's global bow at $114.4 million.

Costing $130 million to produce, Ant-Man easily claimed the top spot in North America ahead of holdover Minions, which took in $50.2 million in its second weekend for a domestic total of $216.7 million. Ant-Man, earning a promising A CinemaScore, is by the far the most comedic and family-friendly superhero film to to hit the big screen, vying with Illumination Entertainment and Universal's Minions for family love (indeed, Minions fell a hefty 57 percent).

Trainwreck earned $30.2 million weekend, almost matching Knocked Up ($30.9 million) to mark the best debut of Judd Apatow's directing career. Thanks to females (66 percent), Trainwreck exceeded expectations and is a big win for popular comedian Schumer as she makes her feature film debut. Heading into the weekend, the Universal movie was expected to open to $20 million.

The Emmy-nominated Schumer both stars in and penned Trainwreck, which played best in New York and Los Angeles, where Schumer is a media darling. The comedy, earning an A- CinemaScore and costing a modest $35 million to make, is the fifth film directed by Apatow, and the first he didn't also write. Nearly 40 percent of the audience was under the age of 30.


Box Office: 'Ant-Man' No. 1 With $58 Million; 'Trainwreck' Laughs to $30.2 Million

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

SOUTHPAW

Release Date: July 24 (Wide Release)

Genre: Boxing Drama

Director: Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Olympus Has Fallen)

Cast: Rachel McAdams, Naomie Harris, Forest Whitaker, Victor Ortiz, Tyrese Gibson, 50 Cent, Clare Foley, Beau Knapp, Oona Laurence and Rita Ora

Synopsis: From acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and screenwriters Kurt Sutter ("Sons of Anarchy) and Richard Wenk (The Mechanic), SOUTHPAW tells the riveting story of Billy "The Great" Hope, reigning Junior Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World (Academy Award (R) nominee Jake Gyllenhaal). Billy Hope seemingly has it all with an impressive career, a beautiful and loving wife (Rachel McAdams), an adorable daughter (Oona Laurence) and a lavish lifestyle. When tragedy strikes and his lifelong manager and friend (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson) leaves him behind, Hope hits rock bottom and turns to an unlikely savior at a run-down local gym: Tick Willis (Academy Award (R) winner Forest Whitaker), a retired fighter and trainer to the city's toughest amateur boxers. With his future riding on Tick's guidance and tenacity, Billy enters the hardest battle of his life as he struggles with redemption and to win back the trust of those he loves.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 56% Approval Rating (49 out of 88 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Jake Gyllenhaal delivers an impressively committed performance, but Southpaw beats it down with a dispiriting drama that pummels viewers with genre clich

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Friday Box Office:

PIXELS Takes the Lead with $9.2M; SOUTHPAW Overperforms

What a difference a week makes. Before audiences actually got a look at Pixels (Sony

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Weekend Box Office:

ANT-MAN Outsizes Competition, Remains No. 1 for 2nd Week

Paul Rudd's Ant-Man narrowly beat Adam Sandler's new action-comedy, Pixels, at the North American box office in another blow for Sandler, whose standing at the multiplex has been on the wane. In its second weekend, Ant-Man grossed an estimated $24.8 million from 3,868 theaters for a 10-day domestic cume of $106.1 million and global haul of $226.5 million for Disney and Marvel Studios. Both films, along with Minions, competed for family love in North America.

Pixels debuted to an estimated $24 million from 3,723 theaters, not a good start for a summer tentpole that cost Sony and its financing partners at least $88 million to produce after rebates. The movie hopes to make up ground overseas, but is off to a muted start with $25.5 million to date from 56 markets for a global total of $50.4 million. Audiences gave it a mediocre B CinemaScore.

Pixels wasn't the only new offering to underwhelm. John Green YA film adaptation Paper Towns, relying on teen and tween girls, came in well behind expectations with $12.5 million from 3,031 theaters (it had been expected to approach $20 million). At the same time, the film cost a modest $12 million to make.

Conversely, Antoine Fuqua's adult-skewing boxing drama, Southpaw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, overperformed to beat Paper Towns. The Weinstein Co. title earned $16.5 million from 2,772 theaters for a fifth-place finish (Paper Towns placed No. 6).

Opinion is divided as to whether Thursday night's fatal theater shooting in Louisiana during a screening of Trainwreck may have hurt family friendly and younger-skewing titles.


Box Office: 'Ant-Man' No. 1 for 2nd Week; 'Pixels' and 'Paper Towns' Underperforms

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

July 29, 2015

Dragonlord's Review of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Bottom Line: Despite the convoluted plot and rehashed 'Ethan on the run' theme, Rogue Nation still soars due to the spectacular action set pieces, exhilarating stuntwork, and a superbly-written femme fatale character splendidly played by Rebecca Ferguson.

2015 seems to be a very big year for spy movies. In February, we had Matthew Vaughn's fantastic Kingsman: The Secret Service. In June, there was the funny (and mostly unseen by Sherdog) Melissa McCarthy comedy Spy. We still have the upcoming Guy Ritchie's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and the latest James Bond pic Spectre coming our way. But for now, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is here and provides one of the summer's most enjoyable action blockbuster.

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in the fifth installment of Mission: Impossible, shot across Austria, Morocco and London. Continuing where Ghost Protocol left off, Ethan is hunting the Syndicate, an organization of disavowed foreign operatives carrying out terrorist acts across the globe. At 53 years of age, it's still astounding how Cruise risks life and limb in some of the film's craziest stunts.

Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson was a marvel and arguably steals the show. She plays the enigmatic Ilsa Faust, a double (triple?) agent working for the Syndicate. Equivalent to a female Ethan Hunt, Ilsa is both elegant and deadly, and has her fair share of badass actions scenes. The romance angle is thankfully muted and just peaks with a friendly hug. But the scenes of her reporting back to the main villain and asking for several second chances becomes a bit repetitive and unbelievable.

Sean Harris plays the main antagonist Solomon Lane, a Blofeld-like villain who prefers working behind-the-scenes. Solomon has a great villain look and demeanor but is a bit underwhelming overall. His most despicable act is limited only to killing an IMF cutie at the beginning. Simon Pegg provides the much-needed lighthearted atmosphere as Benji. Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames are relatively pointless in here.

The plot of Ethan on the run or the IMF being disbanded loses its novelty since it has been repeatedly done already by past M:I films. Rogue Nation still shines thanks to the many spectacular action set pieces, from the Hitchockian action at the Vienna opera house to the intense long take Gravity-esque underwater scene to the exhilarating motorcycle chase scene. It seems the film has caught some bad habits from the Fast & Furious films as characters survive serious car and motorcycle accidents without severe consequences. Unlike past M:I films where the action culminates in a big, dazzling showdown, Rogue Nation's finale is pretty low key but still somewhat satisfying.

Rating: 8/10


Spoiler thoughts below:

Spoiler

The introduction of the red darts that makes the target either unconscious, docile, tell the truth or hypno-like command is a Deus Ex Machina devise and a mistake since it will raise questions like why don't they use that often in the future.

Ethan destroying the flash drive was unnecessary. Why not memorize the file but still keep it as a backup. Ethan is a master spy and could have bluffed it with the same outcome.

The overall plan of trapping Solomon Lane in a bulletproof glass cell was overkill. They could have just easily shot him with those red darts to make him unconscious or docile.

Solomon Lane is the first M:I main villain that doesn't die at the end of the film.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION

Release Date: July 31 (Limited Release)

Genre: Action Adventure

Director: Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher)

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin

Synopsis: With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, a new threat -- called the Syndicate -- soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation.

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Dragonlord's Review: Despite the convoluted plot and rehashed 'Ethan on the run' theme, Rogue Nation still soars due to the spectacular action set pieces, exhilarating stuntwork, and a scene-stealing turn by Rebecca Ferguson. 8/10


Rotten Tomatoes: 93% Approval Rating (165 out of 178 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation continues the franchise's thrilling resurgence -- and proves that Tom Cruise remains an action star without equal.
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VACATION

Release Date: July 29 (Wide Release)

Genre: Comedy

Director: John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein

Cast: Ed Helm, Christina Applegate, Chris Hemsworth, Steele Stebbins, Beverly D

 

[Mondo Freaks]

What's your favorite movie so far this summer DL?

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

What's your favorite movie so far this summer DL?

If May counts as a summer movie, then MAD MAX: FURY ROAD by a huge margin over the others.

If May doesn't count, I guess ROGUE NATION is my favorite 2015 summer movie so far. But I feel that INSIDE OUT would be my favorite when I get to finally see it.

2014 summer movies > 2015 summer movies

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Friday Box Office:

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5 Cruises to $20.3 Million on Friday

Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation is off to a pleasing start at the North American box office, where it grossed a franchise-best $20.3 million on Friday for a projected weekend debut of $52.5 million. Friday's take is the best ever for a Mission: Impossible movie. The previous record was $16.6 million for Mission: Impossible II.

Overseas, the movie is even bigger, already grossing $26.3 million for an expected weekend launch of $60 million, putting the movie's global bow at roughly $112 million. Cruise remains a far bigger star internationally, where Rogue Nation scored the biggest opening day of Cruise's career in 20 markets. And in South Korea, it amassed $16 million, blowing away previous Mission titles and delivering Paramount its biggest first day behind Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It is also the second best showing of the year so far behind Avengers: Age of Ultron.

In a test of Cruise's star-power, there's been plenty of speculation as to how the big-budget film, costing Paramount and Skydance Productions $150 million to make, will fare in the U.S. At this pace, Rogue Nation will pose the second-best weekend opening of the series behind the second installment.

The critically acclaimed film, buoyed by an A- CinemaScore, is the fifth installment in the action franchise and is playing in 3,956 North American theaters. The Mission: Impossible movies have never opened to huge numbers, outside of the second film, which took in $70.8 million over the long Memorial Day weekend in 2000, including $57 million for the weekend itself.


Box Office: 'Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation' Cruising to $52.5M U.S. Debut